DTG FEBRUARY

Greetings friends and partners

Welcome to all our new subscribers, friends and partners this month. It's always wonderful to see our numbers continuing to grow, and more people in the graphic design field getting benefit from your Design & Publishing Center! Here's a thank-you to The Printing Guide for their support of the Design Center. It's good to have some solid leaders in the community supporting our readers ... THANK YOU for supporting the Design Center

Celebrate Valentine's Day and do something special for someone you love. Or, for someone else. Or, for multiple people. Here's a hug and a kiss from us... because we love you all.

DTGees, TypeTees, mousepads & Mugs

Of course you don't have to be a winner to own a collectable Tee or Mug from the Design Center. Remember you can purchase these and help support the Design Center all at the same time! Fonts Fest Tees here... DTGees:Type & Design Tees here

Designers "BEST" & WORST

We were quite disappointed at the turn-out for this year's Best/Worst survey, less than a third of last year, and most of those not usable. Evidently, 2007 was a lack-luster year with few innovations or true discoveries. Fortunately we did get some constructive input from some loyal DTG readers who shared their thoughts on the best and worst of 2007 -- and we were able to select these four as the best. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for our December winners: John Brandt Sandra Warowitz Anthony Cooper Moureen Ballard Read their comments in the Creative Networking department

Photoshop: Creating Black & White from Color

another of those frequent questions from the Photoshop 911 emergency room gets answered by expert Barry Huggins, author of the Photoshop Retouching Cookbook for Digital Photographers. Through four different techniques, we learn a different set of skills is required when Creating Black & White from Color

Designing in Ceramic Tiles

At a time when creative services may be sliding with the economy, some niche markets continue to flourish. Follow along as Fred takes a look at the use of ceramics for business signage and architectural markings -- not only a lucrative side-line, but one of high-art and lasting durability... Designing in Ceramic Tiles

Digital Cameras: Good, Bad, Ugly

I've been testing digital cameras for some time -- even destroyed a few! This year the quest was for a durable camera for video that would stand up to extreme sports, while giving good image qualaity. I have tested two excellent choices, and several DOGS! Before you purchase, read my brief notes on Digital Cameras

A quick Tune up for your computer

Is your PC not running like it used to? Bogged down by too many startup items, slow to load, slow to restart? Maybe it's time for your annual end of the year PC tune up! Wesley Warren of Vexcom.com shares these tune-up tricks for your Annual PC Maintenance: A quick Tune up for your computer

George is in LCD Display heaven

George Engel is back this month to share his experiences in purchasing a new 22" display -- and points out several good criteria when shopping for displays. If Santa brought you some cash, and you've been wanting a new or second computer monitor, then read George's review of the Viewsonic VX2235 LCD Display

First Professional Photo Editor for Linux Users

Linux users can now improve every photo regardless of camera type -- editing, enhancing and improving digital photos, just like Windows and Mac users have done for years. Lightzone includes the innovative ZoneMapper and Re-Light tools. LightZone is the first and only application to span three operating systems LightZone for Linux Users

Digital Cameras NOT to buy

George warns us about two faulty Kodak cameras, and stresses researching your purchases before you buy. George Engel sez: "Research now, so you won't get hooked later..." but don't just take his word for it, read this Digital Camera News

Controling Mac fonts

As the Mac OS gets more complicated, you're finding more problems with fonts. With You Control: Fonts 1.3 you get a system-wide WYSIWYG font menu that brings consistency to the system, and allows you to use your fonts more efficiently... Control Mac fonts

Website of the Month:

P22 has done it again, with yet another very cool spin-off web site. While well known for their fonts, I had no idea they were into music until I discovered the Music Text Composition Generator free online music utility! If you're not a musician, then it's just fun. If you are a musician, then it's really fun! Try it out: p22.com/musicfont/

Art site of the month: furiae

We discovered the site of Linda Bergkvist (Enayla) quite by accident. Someone else recommended one of her tutorials and once we dug in, we couldn't look away. Her spectacular paintings are rare visions. Don't miss the tutorials, wallpapers and above all the portraits. Our favorite is "Self". There's little information about the artist ... I'll let your imagination run. But spend some time with the images -- to my knowledge, all done with a tablet. Don't miss Furiae

FEBRUARY: BRIGHTER IDEAS FOR 2008

Hot Forum Topics: Web Design Critiques -- There is always a collection of new sites to review and reviewers who are sharing some rather special insights into web design!. This is al taking place in the Graphic Design Cafe!

Hot Forum Topics: Photoshop 911 -- Photoshop 911 forum discussions continue with lots of help for readers. From batch renaming to saving for the web issues, dig in if you're a Photoshop user!

Who loves 'ya?

We invite you to visit all our partners and friends because they support your Design Center! Take advantage of all they have to offer, and tell them DTG sent you! Support your Design Center and DTG Magazine by becoming a partner or a friend!

Welcome 2008

Welcome to the 20th year of sharing design, typography and graphics in the pages of DTG! Note some upcoming events: Designing Women - our annual tribute to women in the visual arts happens in March and April. If you're a woman in design, and would like DTG readers to visit your studio or portfolio, just let us know. Spring Color - our annual look at colors and color trends. Join the fun and suggest your favorites and why Digital Summer - once warm weather hits we'll be on the road with the digital lifestyle.

Once again you've wasted a perfectly good hour reading the DTG newsletter. Hopefully all is not wasted and you've gained at least one helpful tidbit of info

Happy NEW YEAR!Once again you've wasted a perfectly good hour reading the DTG newsletter. Hopefully all is not wasted and you've gained at least one helpful tidbit of info

Happy NEW YEAR!

Editor / Publisher, DT&G Magazine

A Thought for January... and the future:

The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination."John Schaar

PS: if you've made it this far, excellent! The folks at the Publishers Warehouse have set up the Loading Dock for January and changed the address to "janus" ... so, just add the word janus after the last slash in www.graphic-design.com/

Participate in your Design Center

Lots of fun and information for all... don't forget, any community is only as good as the participation of its members. We invite your tips, tricks, comments, suggestions and camaraderie.

Ask for the DT&G Monthly email newsletter, and each month we'll send you a low-key text email with all the happenings in the Design Center along with regular columns like the Mail-Bag, Reader-Tips, and "Cool Sites"

Back Issues:

You haven't even started. There are 3,645 items in the DTG directory alone.

Chuck Green's Idea Books: are here with over 300 templates in Quark XPress, Adobe InDesign or Adobe PageMaker... CLICK HERE to save up to 30%!

About The Design & Publishing Center: First established in 1994 to provide an online web site for DT&G Zine. DT&G was originally published each month on AOL and Compuserve for attendees of Fred Showker's design and publishing seminar and conference appearances. Click here to contact us DT&G welcomes your articles, comments and contributions. Our "Writer's Guidelines" are available for those of you who would like to be published in The Design Center Publications. This is a Spam-Free web site. Help support a healthier Spam-free environment! Please read our Legal Trademark Notice & Copyright Notices. The Design & Publishing Center is owned by Showker Graphic Arts & Design -- located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, established in 1972 -- 540-433-8402. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Copyright 1994 - 2006 Showker, Inc.